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kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

Can a Chinese school require that a foreign teacher attend a Chinese flag raising ceremony every week? Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Attending the ceremony? refusing to attend? thanks

Alien abductee · Joined: 08 Jun 2014 Posts: 527 Location: Kuala Lumpur

kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

Thanks for your message. My contract has that clause also 'other duties as assigned' verbiage but I would assume these duties should be related to education. In my mind flag raising has nothing to do with my teaching duties.

Alien abductee · Joined: 08 Jun 2014 Posts: 527 Location: Kuala Lumpur

Try reason with them. Any other teachers showing up for that ceremony? If you have class that same morning request you be exempt, need to be ready for the lesson. Ask them why you need to be there. If I was told to go I might show up once just to see who else is there and if anyone's checking if I showed up, then just not go back if it looked like no-one cared. I'd ask the school to be reasonable and ditch this request first though because having you there seems a waste of time.

What kind of school is this anyway?

kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

I will query the other FTs for their thoughts. Thanks again

Capt Lugwash · Joined: 14 Aug 2014 Posts: 346

What are you expected to do at the ceremony?

kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

I don't have any idea what I will be asked to do. I guess it could just be standing there while they raise the flag? Even so I feel it should be optional as I am a foreign national and flag raising is completely unrelated to work.

Capt Lugwash · Joined: 14 Aug 2014 Posts: 346

Aside from the inconvenience, as long as they don't expect you to stand to attention then my opinion would be not to make waves. I am making the assumption you are new to the school and therefore will have a probation period?

kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

Actually I am in my second year at this school. The flag deal is a new thing for the FTs here.

Capt Lugwash · Joined: 14 Aug 2014 Posts: 346

Then it simply boils down to whether you want to risk putting their noses out of joint or not. Have you asked why they want foreigners to attend and what they expect from you?

kungfuman · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 1:16 pm Post subject:

Next time you go bring your own Japanese flag and raise it at the same time as they raise their flag

kimo50 · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Guam

That would go over real well! The rising sun flag!

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

LOL! I went through this at my first high school where I taught subjects.

I actually think it is a bit of a compliment in that they see you as part of the school as was explained by their headmaster and he seemed sincere.

I was a bit moved but still not very enthusiastic about getting up early every Monday and watching the PRC flag get raised followed by some student barking out some speech on how being number one is the only thing that matters in life.

I called my program and it had been the first they had heard of this request. They said just do it to be nice.

This still did not convince me. Above all else I had learned by then that doing favors for Chinese always sets a precedence for more and bigger favors soon thereafter.

So I handled it by just sort of showing up during it if I had just happened to wake up early the occasional Monday morning. Nothing was said so not sure if they were happy or not about my part time attendance.

Wish I could give you more concrete advice on how to handle it, but that was my experience for whatever it is worth.

NiHaoDaJia · Joined: 07 Aug 2014 Posts: 118

As we are guests in China, we should make every effort to respect the Chinese nation and culture. The Chinese give us an opportunity to live abroad and make money, and experience their lifestyle and benefits. So we should not hesitate to participate in ceremonies that are meaningful to their pride. I have no problem going to the ceremony and saluting the flag. It is not an inconvenience to me.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I attended the flag raising ceremony at Dalian Maritime a few times (in summer). I did it of my own volition and I'm glad I went. Of course all the kids in their naval whites added to the spectacle.
In one of my elective chat classes I ran a debate 'That flag raising ceremony is a waste of time'.
Interesting.
The comment about the Japanese flag is just plain offensive. Yes it REALLY is!
Try taking one to Arlington.